A sleepy town of 22,000 people in southern Slovakia is home to a top-flight football club that is challenging for national titles and boasts an ultra-modern, sleek stadium that is entirely out of step with its surroundings – thanks to money from abroad.

We paid a visit to Dunajská Streda to watch local team DAC 1904 play domestic giants Slovan Bratislava in a top-of-the table clash in Slovakia. But this was no ordinary game. It was the most politically charged football match we’ve ever seen.

The reason for that lies far beyond the football pitch. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is funding clubs in neighbouring countries as part of a broader political strategy – one that may help him win re-election in April and shape the balance of power in the EU.

Elsewhere, the Copa Libertadores is reportedly preparing to invite guest clubs from Mexico and the US to participate in the competition starting in 2027, while Chinese football has hit a new low after nine of the Super League’s 16 clubs were deducted points.

Chapters

00:00 - Intro

01:49 - Live game: DAC 1904 v Slovan Bratislava

14:32 - Viktor Orbán's political power play

21:18 - Copa Libertadores guest invitations

23:04 - Analysis from Jon Arnold

25:59 - China's Super League low point

27:21 - Analysis from John Duerden

Sources for the lead story

Atlatszo: https://english.atlatszo.hu/2018/12/11/the-orban-government-spent-billions-on-hungarian-football-clubs-in-serbia-romania-and-slovakia

Balkan Insight: https://balkaninsight.com/2025/07/08/hungary-and-croatia-build-stadium-for-e7-5-million-in-village-of-500-inhabitants

Denník: https://dennikn.sk/1380564/bolo-to-ako-vojna-bitka-policajtov-s-fanusikmi-dunajskej-stredy-po-ktorej-sa-zmenil-zakon/

Radio Free Europe: https://www.rferl.org/a/hungary-orban-sport-influence-romania/31977287.html

Salzburger Nachrichten:https://www.sn.at/sport/fussball/international/dac-dunajska-streda-orbans-aushaengeschild-in-der-slowakei-art-371392

Qarabağ have made Champions League history this season, becoming the first Azerbaijani club to ever reach the knockout stages of the competition – and setting up a play-off tie against Premier League team Newcastle United.

Their run has come at a time of dramatic geopolitical change in the South Caucasus, with the club preparing to return to their hometown of Ağdam after spending more than three decades in exile in the capital Baku.

Elsewhere, Bodø/Glimt stunned the continent by qualifying for the knockouts despite not playing domestic football since November, while Benfica hit the headlines with a goalkeeper goal and a viral TV interview from a local priest.

Club Brugge also progressed through the league phase, but that will not be the enduring memory of their season for three fans who accompanied the team to Kazakhstan and ended up in jail in one of the strangest away-day stories of the season.

Ghost Cities FC by James Montague for the BBC: www.bbc.com/audio/play/p0lxg7xy

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

00:41 – Qarabağ's historic Champions League run

02:01 – A story of exile and homecoming

07:22 – Soft power and state support

10:50 – The secret to their sporting success

14:37 – The challenges ahead: Newcastle and Sabah

17:02 – Patreon preview: Chapecoense and South America

18:33 – Another milestone for Bodø/Glimt

21:45 – Benfica's keeper goal and priest interview

26:07 – Brugge's congratulations and Borat arrests

Christmas has come and gone, but for Santa Claus – the football club that is, not the man with the beard – the other big moment of the year is fast approaching.

This amateur team of tourism and post office workers are about to enter the Finnish Cup – their one big moment each year to show they are more than just a novelty name.

But beyond Lapland, what else is so unique about the competition? We speak to Tomi Leivo-Jokimäki, the chief organiser at the Finnish Football Association, about its soaring popularity, English influence and the trophy's wacky back story.

Finally, we take a look at other unique cup competitions across the European continent – from France’s all-inclusive cup to Bosnia’s strange final.

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

00:32 – Santa Claus' other big moment

03:38 – The uniqueness of the Finnish Cup

05:42 – A typical run in the competition

07:40 – Favourite Finnish club names

09:38 – Interview with Tomi Leivo-Jokimäki

23:20 – Patreon episode sneak peak

24:29 – Cup craziness across Europe

In just three seasons, a small-town club from central Luxembourg have gone from third-tier obscurity to challenging for the top-flight title.

At the heart of their rise is president Carlos Teixeira, a construction entrepreneur who literally built the club’s stadium himself before reluctantly taking over the reins.

On this episode, we tell Atert Bissen's story – before heading to the Netherlands, where an amateur club in the KNVB Beker are guaranteed to lift a trophy whether they win the competition or not.

To complete the Benelux trio we finish off in Belgium, where an angry father, a potential Iraqi investor and a revolving door of coaches have allegedly turned Olympic Charleroi into a hot mess.

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

00:45 – Atert Bissen’s remarkable rise

06:35 – Rapid risers across the globe

08:40 – De Treffers & the Blue Pine Cone

14:40 – Amateur rewards worldwide

18:00 – Chaos at Olympic Charleroi

22:20 – Special Sweeper announcement

In Part 1, Lee & Paul preview the inaugural OFC Pro League – the first fully professional football competition in Oceania’s history – which kicks off in New Zealand on Saturday 17 January. What matches will take place in the first circuit series in Auckland – and where can you watch them? Which team will have to travel the furthest and cross the International Date Line for their fixtures? Who are the standout players to watch out for? And what does the new tournament mean for the future of the OFC Champions League?In Part 2, there are stories from Europe, Africa and Asia. In Germany, a former Bundesliga coach is managing two McDonald’s restaurants – but what other unusual careers have footballers had after hanging up their boots? At AFCON, Mali have turned to a fetish priest to tip fate in their favour for their game against Tunisia. What on earth is one of those, we hear you ask?! And finally, Japan prepares for its transition to an autumn-spring league. But which J-League club have been royally screwed over by the switch?

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

04:11 – OFC Pro League: Format & fixtures

08:58 – OFC Pro League: Distances & date lines

13:24 – OFC Pro League: Intriguing individuals

23:23 – OFC Pro League: Concurrent competitions

27:54 – The German ex-coach working at McDonald's

31:32 – Strangest former footballer careers

38:53 – Mali's fetish priest & Gabon's letter

46:03 – Japan's schedule switch & Fukushima United

In Part 1, Lee and Paul are joined by Asia correspondent John Duerden to cast a look at some huge stories across the continent – in India, Malaysia and South Korea. What on earth happened on Lionel Messi’s GOAT Tour of Kolkata? And why is the world’s largest country still without a top-flight league months after the season should have gotten under way? What has the fallout been from Malaysia’s attempt to illegally naturalise seven players? And why did Gus Poyet resign in protest after winning the double with Jeonbuk in South Korea?

In Part 2, Africa correspondent Ali Howorth drops in before flying to Morocco to give us the lowdown on AFCON 2025 and help us decide which team to support at the tournament. Then it’s over to Europe to put the Ekstraklasa under the microscope. But what unique situation that we have never seen before has occurred in Poland’s top flight? And finally, to mark the festive season, there is a mention for Christmas Island – an Australian overseas territory that is known for its red crabs and its football rivalry with the nearby Cocos Islands.

World Soccer magazine special offer: shop.kelsey.co.uk/sweeperxmas25

John Duerden’s Substack newsletter: https://howfootballexplainsasia.substack.com

Ali Howarth’s AFCON flow chart: https://x.com/ahoworth97/status/2001293214012014953

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

00:35 – India’s Super League crisis

08:56 – Other leagues in limbo worldwide

11:29 – Malaysia’s naturalisation scandal

21:47 – Gus Poyet’s Jeonbuk departure

27:17 – AFCON 2025 in Morocco

39:55 – The crazy Polish Ekstraklasa

44:25 – Mayhem & chaos across UEFA

48:00 – Christmas Island and red crabs

53:45 – On The Spot - The Apertura crown

In Part 1, Lee and Paul take a deep dive into Canadian football, including the national team's World Cup draw, Vancouver Whitecaps' incredible campaign and the changes to the line-up in the Canadian Premier League. Do Canada have a chance against Qatar, Switzerland – and probably Italy? Will the Vancouver Whitecaps be able to stay in Vancouver? How on earth did the Canadian Premier League's bottom club qualify for the top continental competition? And who are FC Supra du Quebec, the new club joining the division in 2026?

In Part 2, it's the usual array of stories from across the world. Several French overseas territories award four points for a win – but what other location-specific football rules exist around the world? Lee tests Paul in a quiz! Over in Norway, a season of surprises continues as Viking claim the Eliteserien and second-tier Lillestrøm win the Norwegian Cup. We hear from Viking's No.1 overseas fan Babsi! And finally, the 2026 World Cup group stage draw is now done and dusted. Which debutant has the best chance of going through?

Copa 90 documentary on Vancouver Whitecaps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6Hnk37Lwo8

Weird and wacky football rules: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_tournament_ranking_system#Association_football

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro

00:47 – Canada's World Cup prospects

02:38 – The Vancouver Whitecaps story

07:24 – Relocation fears

11:35 – Vancouver FC's Champions Cup qualification

15:33 – The newcomers: FC Supra du Québec

17:50 – The departure: Valour FC

19:43 – The rebrand: Inter Toronto

24:33 – Four points per win in the Caribbean

28:15 – Bizarre football rules quiz

36:30 – Norway's season of surprises

48:14 – Debutant World Cup groups

50:38 – On The Spot

In Part 1, Lee and Paul are joined by North and Central American football expert Jon Arnold to talk about the craziness in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. Why did Curacao fly from Bermuda to Jamaica via London in the November window? Why has Haiti's French coach Sebastien Migne never set foot on the island? How did an uncelebrated last-gasp own goal save Suriname's World Cup hopes? And was it a cowardly move for Steve McClaren to resign as Jamaica coach with the play-offs coming up in March?

In Part 2, the focus switches to three stories across three different continents that have caught our eye at Sweeper HQ: promoted Thun's Swiss title charge, Al Hilal and Al Merrikh's move to Rwanda, and a controversial new championship title in Argentina. What has coach Mauro Lustrinelli done to help Thun take the Super League by storm this season? What exclusive club have the Sudanese duo of Al Hilal and Al Merrikh joined by moving to Rwanda? And will Argentina really have eight title-winners every year?!

More from Jon Arnold:

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@jonarnoldfc

Substack newsletter: https://getconcacafed.substack.com

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro

00:51 – Curacao's World Cup miracle

13:17 – Haiti's triumph in face of adversity

23:47 – The own goal that saved Suriname

26:57 – The inter-confederation play-offs

28:35 – Steve McClaren's Jamaica exit

35:40 – Thun's extraordinary Swiss title tilt

39:48 – 2025: The year of the promoted club

41:48 – Sudanese duo's Rwanda move

45:19 – Trivia: Three-country football clubs

46:49 – Argentina's new championship title

51:07 – On The Spot